← 19 Oct Friday 20 October 2017 · to 23:59 UTC 21 Oct →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
46,884 stories about harm· Trends· Every past day

We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.

How to read these numbers →

Illness in Stalowa Wola, rights and justice in Cairo and protests in Nairobi (Kenya) drew the news. Poland's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was harsher than usual.

Reports of people falling ill ran at about 4 times the usual rate, most often about the US and China →
Part of lifeRights & justice 25 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostLithuania 66 in 100 of its 73 stories, usually 8
RegionSub-Saharan Africa 37 in 100 of its stories, usually 31
Tone of the words Harsher than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Health

Poland

363 of its 684 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Stalowa Wola accounted for 278 of Poland's 363 stories about harm, carried by 410 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (277 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

Poland over 30 days → its stories → Stalowa Wola stories →
Conflict & violence

Egypt

363 of its 560 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. Cairo accounted for 261 of Egypt's 363 stories about harm, carried by 228 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (115 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

Egypt over 30 days → its stories → Cairo stories →
Protests & strikes

Kenya

279 of its 655 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. 98 of Nairobi's 174 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of abductions ran at about 7 times the usual rate (15 stories). Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Kenya over 30 days → its stories → Nairobi stories →
Disasters & accidents

Greece

137 of its 541 stories (25%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (55 stories). Drownings were named in 37 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Greece over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Conflict & violence

Central African Republic

48 of its 53 stories (91%) were about people being harmed, usually 64%. Pombolo accounted for 42 of the Central African Republic's 48 stories about harm, carried by 43 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (44 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

737 of its 923 stories (80%) were about people being harmed, usually 66%. Kabul accounted for 555 of Afghanistan's 737 stories about harm, carried by 431 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (620 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Somalia

525 of its 577 stories (91%) were about people being harmed, usually 81%. Mogadishu accounted for 495 of Somalia's 525 stories about harm, carried by 501 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (240 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Malawi

189 of its 257 stories (74%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Reports of arrests ran at about 7 times the usual rate (134 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Switzerland

355 of its 672 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of refugees ran at more than ten times the usual rate (126 stories). Hurricane was named in 159 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with cholera and plague.

its stories →
Health

Madagascar

171 of its 199 stories (86%) were about people being harmed, usually 54%. Antananarivo accounted for 105 of Madagascar's 171 stories about harm, carried by 112 outlets. Its coverage was about 4 times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: hurricane in Switzerland (159 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); cholera in Bangladesh (139 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); tsunami in South Korea (64 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); malaria in India (429 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); flu in Latvia (12 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

22 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 23; 22 the day before
28 in 10020 in 10021 Sep28 Sep5 Oct12 Oct20 Oct21 Sep: 23 in 10022 Sep: 22 in 10023 Sep: 24 in 10024 Sep: 24 in 10025 Sep: 20 in 10026 Sep: 21 in 10027 Sep: 20 in 10028 Sep: 22 in 10029 Sep: 23 in 10030 Sep: 23 in 1001 Oct: 21 in 1002 Oct: 28 in 1003 Oct: 26 in 1004 Oct: 24 in 1005 Oct: 23 in 1006 Oct: 23 in 1007 Oct: 27 in 1008 Oct: 26 in 1009 Oct: 22 in 10010 Oct: 22 in 10011 Oct: 21 in 10012 Oct: 22 in 10013 Oct: 22 in 10014 Oct: 26 in 10015 Oct: 25 in 10016 Oct: 24 in 10017 Oct: 23 in 10018 Oct: 22 in 10019 Oct: 22 in 10020 Oct: 22 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 20 Oct. The big dot is this day; the shaded band is a normal day (the 30 days before it). Click a day to open it. Based on 46,884 stories about harm among 210,141 counted on 20 Oct.

Read the day's briefing

Reports of people falling ill ran at about 4 times the usual rate, most often about the US and China. 22 in every 100 of the day's 210,141 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. In Poland, 53% of the news was about people being harmed, where 18% is usual. Switzerland's news mentioned the hurricane more than ten times as often as usual. It was the second day running that the news turned to Poland.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

DR Congo94 in 100 of its 67 stories · usually 55 · mostly shelter & services Somalia91 in 100 of its 577 stories · usually 81 · mostly conflict & violence Central African Republic91 in 100 of its 53 stories · usually 64 · mostly conflict & violence Madagascar86 in 100 of its 199 stories · usually 54 · mostly health Afghanistan80 in 100 of its 923 stories · usually 66 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US395 stories about protests or strikes, of its 3108 Gainesville US255 stories about protests or strikes, of its 276 Charlottesville US234 stories about protests or strikes, of its 266 Piedmont US172 stories about protests or strikes, of its 174 Texas US154 stories about protests or strikes, of its 381

Stories, not people.

Where the news was warmest

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: about as warm as its own usual or lessYemen: about as warm as its own usual or lessVenezuela: about as warm as its own usual or lessUzbekistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessUruguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuam: about as warm as its own usual or lessPuerto Rico: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited States: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: too little coverage to readFalkland Islands: too little coverage to readCayman Islands: too little coverage to readIsle of Man: too little coverage to readUnited Kingdom: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited Arab Emirates: about as warm as its own usual or lessUkraine: about as warm as its own usual or lessUganda: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkmenistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkey: about as warm as its own usual or lessTunisia: too little coverage to readTrinidad & Tobago: too little coverage to readTonga: too little coverage to readTogo: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readThailand: about as warm as its own usual or lessTanzania: too little coverage to readTajikistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessTaiwan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSyria: about as warm as its own usual or lessSwitzerland: too little coverage to readSweden: about as warm as its own usual or lessEswatini: about as warm as its own usual or lessSuriname: too little coverage to readSouth Sudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSri Lanka: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Africa: about as warm as its own usual or lessSomalia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: too little coverage to readSlovakia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovenia: too little coverage to readSingapore: about as warm as its own usual or lessSierra Leone: about as warm as its own usual or lessSeychelles: about as warm as its own usual or lessSerbia: too little coverage to readSaudi Arabia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSão Tomé: about as warm as its own usual or lessSamoa: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Vincent: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. Lucia: too little coverage to readRwanda: about as warm as its own usual or lessRussia: about as warm as its own usual or lessRomania: too little coverage to readQatar: about as warm as its own usual or lessPortugal: about as warm as its own usual or lessPoland: about as warm as its own usual or lessPhilippines: about as warm as its own usual or lessPeru: about as warm as its own usual or lessParaguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessPapua New Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessPanama: too little coverage to readPalau: too little coverage to readPakistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessOman: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorway: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth Korea: about as warm as its own usual or lessNigeria: about as warm as its own usual or lessNiger: about as warm as its own usual or lessNew Zealand: about as warm as its own usual or lessNiue: too little coverage to readNetherlands: about as warm as its own usual or lessCuraçao: too little coverage to readNepal: about as warm as its own usual or lessNamibia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMozambique: about as warm as its own usual or lessMorocco: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontenegro: about as warm as its own usual or lessMongolia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: about as warm as its own usual or lessMexico: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritius: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritania: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalta: about as warm as its own usual or lessMali: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalawi: about as warm as its own usual or lessMadagascar: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth Macedonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLuxembourg: about as warm as its own usual or lessLibya: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiberia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLesotho: about as warm as its own usual or lessLebanon: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLaos: about as warm as its own usual or lessKyrgyzstan: too little coverage to readKuwait: about as warm as its own usual or lessKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: too little coverage to readKenya: about as warm as its own usual or lessKazakhstan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJordan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJamaica: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalestine: about as warm as its own usual or lessIreland: about as warm as its own usual or lessIraq: about as warm as its own usual or lessIran: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndonesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndia: about as warm as its own usual or lessIceland: about as warm as its own usual or lessHungary: about as warm as its own usual or lessHonduras: about as warm as its own usual or lessHaiti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuyana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea-Bissau: too little coverage to readGuinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuatemala: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreece: about as warm as its own usual or lessGhana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGermany: about as warm as its own usual or lessGeorgia: about as warm as its own usual or lessGambia: about as warm as its own usual or lessGabon: about as warm as its own usual or lessFrance: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Pierre & Miquelon: too little coverage to readFrench Polynesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessNew Caledonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessFrench Southern Territories: too little coverage to readÅland Islands: too little coverage to readFinland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFiji: too little coverage to readEthiopia: too little coverage to readEstonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEritrea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEquatorial Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEl Salvador: about as warm as its own usual or lessEgypt: about as warm as its own usual or lessEcuador: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominican Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: about as warm as its own usual or lessDjibouti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readDenmark: about as warm as its own usual or lessN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCyprus: about as warm as its own usual or lessCuba: about as warm as its own usual or lessCroatia: about as warm as its own usual or lessCôte d'Ivoire: about as warm as its own usual or lessCosta Rica: about as warm as its own usual or lessDR Congo: about as warm as its own usual or lessCongo: about as warm as its own usual or lessComoros: about as warm as its own usual or lessColombia: about as warm as its own usual or lessChina: about as warm as its own usual or lessHong Kong: too little coverage to readChile: about as warm as its own usual or lessChad: about as warm as its own usual or lessCape Verde: too little coverage to readCanada: about as warm as its own usual or lessCameroon: about as warm as its own usual or lessCambodia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMyanmar: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurundi: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurkina Faso: too little coverage to readBulgaria: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrunei: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrazil: about as warm as its own usual or lessBotswana: about as warm as its own usual or lessBosnia and Herzegovina: about as warm as its own usual or lessBolivia: about as warm as its own usual or lessBhutan: too little coverage to readBenin: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelize: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelgium: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelarus: about as warm as its own usual or lessBarbados: about as warm as its own usual or lessBangladesh: about as warm as its own usual or lessBahrain: about as warm as its own usual or lessBahamas: about as warm as its own usual or lessAzerbaijan: about as warm as its own usual or lessAustria: about as warm as its own usual or lessAustralia: about as warm as its own usual or lessHeard & McDonald Islands: too little coverage to readArgentina: about as warm as its own usual or lessAntigua & Barbuda: about as warm as its own usual or lessAngola: about as warm as its own usual or lessAndorra: too little coverage to readAlgeria: about as warm as its own usual or lessAlbania: too little coverage to readAfghanistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJammu & Kashmir: about as warm as its own usual or lessAksai Chin: about as warm as its own usual or lessGaza: about as warm as its own usual or lessWest Bank: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Free Zone): about as warm as its own usual or lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSiachen Glacier: about as warm as its own usual or lessCrimea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEast Jerusalem: about as warm as its own usual or lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessVatican City: too little coverage to readMarshall Islands: too little coverage to readNorthern Mariana Islands: too little coverage to readAmerican Samoa: too little coverage to readChagos Islands: too little coverage to readSt. Helena: too little coverage to readPitcairn: too little coverage to readAnguilla: about as warm as its own usual or lessBermuda: about as warm as its own usual or lessBritish Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: too little coverage to readJersey: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuernsey: too little coverage to readSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: about as warm as its own usual or lessNauru: about as warm as its own usual or lessMonaco: too little coverage to readMaldives: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiechtenstein: too little coverage to readWallis & Futuna: too little coverage to readSt. Martin: too little coverage to readSt. Barthélemy: too little coverage to readMacao: too little coverage to readNorfolk Island: too little coverage to readSint Maarten: too little coverage to readChristmas Island: too little coverage to readGibraltar: about as warm as its own usual or lessMayotte: too little coverage to readZambia: warmth about its own usualVietnam: warmth about its own usualVanuatu: warmth about its own usualSpain: warmth about its own usualSouth Korea: warmth about its own usualSenegal: warmth about its own usualNicaragua: warmth about its own usualMalaysia: warmth about its own usualLithuania: warmth about its own usualJapan: warmth about its own usualItaly: warmth about one and a half times its own usualIsrael: warmth about one and a half times its own usualCzechia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualCentral African Republic: warmth about its own usualArmenia: warmth about its own usualMaine, US -- health: 73 stories, carried by 70 outletsNavarro County, US -- health: 10 stories, carried by 10 outletsPombolo, Central African Republic -- conflict & violence: 42 stories, carried by 43 outletsWuxi, China -- rights & justice: 17 stories, carried by 19 outletsPeterborough, UK -- health: 12 stories, carried by 10 outletsShanghai, China -- rights & justice: 66 stories, carried by 69 outletsIschia, Italy -- conflict & violence: 121 stories, carried by 103 outletsGaza, Palestine -- conflict & violence: 117 stories, carried by 108 outlets
Warmer than its own usual The warmest eventsAbout as warm or lessToo little news

Each country shaded by the warmth in its news — care, help, gratitude — against its own last 30 days. Stronger colour: further above. Dots: the events whose coverage carried the most warmth, even where the event itself began as harm. Warm words, not good outcomes. Click a country or a dot.

Warmest news

● Czechia warmth about one and a half times usual ● Italy warmth about one and a half times usual ● Israel warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Maine US about three times as warm as the day's news · health · 73 stories ● Navarro County US about three times as warm as the day's news · health · 10 stories ● Pombolo Central African Republic about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 42 stories ● Wuxi China about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 17 stories ● Peterborough UK about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice25% 11,729 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence21% 9,523 stories · about as usual Health21% 9,448 stories · more than usual (usually 18%) Disasters & accidents17% 8,049 stories · less than usual (usually 21%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 2,683 stories · about as usual Shelter & services6% 2,602 stories · more than usual (usually 4%) Displacement2% 1,059 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 929 stories · about as usual

Of the stories about people being harmed, what part of life each was about. The mark is usual.

Harm reported 30 days →

Stories reporting people killed16,141 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected5,906 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests5,853 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured4,869 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees906 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced375 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions369 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria Stories reporting evacuations315 at about a third of the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria Stories reporting people falling ill233 at about 4 times the usual rate · most about the US and China

Stories that report it, not people: we count what reporters wrote, not what happened.

How it felt 30 days →

harshwarm

The words in the day's stories were harsher than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angerabout as usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefa little more than usual
● Fearabout as usual

From the words reporters used across the whole day, never one story. Fear is the weakest of the four measures. How?

The weekly briefing · 19 Oct – 25 Oct

The week in human impact

Read the week →

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How to read these numbers →

These are counts of stories, not counts of suffering. Most of what happens to people is never reported at all.